AUSTRALIAN MEDICINE, Page 5.
6-20 January 1997.

Circumcision Deterred

The AMA will discourage circumcision of baby
boys in line with the Australian College of Paediatrics' Position Statement on
Routine Circumcision of Normal Male Infants and Boys.

The statement, released in June and
supported by the AMA's November Federal Council meeting,
includes:

The Australian College of Paediatrics should continue
to discourage the practice of circumcision in
newborns.

Educational material should be available to parents
before the birth of their baby and in maternity
hospitals.

Some parents after considering medical, social,
religious and family factors will opt for circumcision. It
is then the responsibility of the doctor to recommend this
is performed at an age and under circumstances which reduce
hazards to a minimum.